Sengoku Jidai Highschool
by Lcsaf
Summary: Sometimes highschool can feel like a real warring era.
1. Chapter 1

_**DISCLAIMER:**_ I am merely a fan, and this is only fiction (and an AU, at that). Suffice to say, Inu-Yasha doesn't belong me. (But, if he did? Oh, boy…..)

**A/N:** Rehauling..._again._ *sigh* After nearly coming to the conclusion of abandoning this fic, entirely, I've recently been struck with inspiration and have decided to break hiatus and breathe new life into my story. I have edited, re-edited and then done it again to get the story straight, as I was leaving some seriously gaping plot holes in regards to the story when I first wrote it. I've tweaked the writing style so it doesn't read as if a 10 year old wrote it, but please be advised that I tend to write in passive tense and so it looks like my tenses may not match during an action sequence. I assure you that in that tense, it is grammatically correct.

Also be advised that this obviously a highschool fic, and while I strive to stay true to most of the Japanese school structure, I have modified this little Alternate Universe so that there is no test placement for schools in a ward. In my world, all students are zoned for a particular school, unless they chose to test into another, private school. As long as you can suspend your disbelief for that, we should be grand.

Lesson for the day: the _**genkan**_ is the entryway to any Japanese home. This is where the street shoes are left, so that dirt is not tracked all over the rest of the household. The _**tekkou**_ is the cloth wrapping around Miroku's hand and _**mala**_ are traditional Buddhist prayer beads.

This work was originally beta-ed by the most fantastic readers: _Phoenix Cubed_ and _Sailor Silver Moon_.

* * *

Higurashi Kagome stood in front of her bedroom mirror, twisting and turning to make sure her new school uniform was perfect. Her white, long-sleeved blouse was capped with pea green cuffs and a coverlet with a red scarf that tied at the bottom of the coverlet. The matching green sailor skirt, her lucky baggy socks and brown loafers completed the outfit. She prayed that she would not stand out. Attention was something that she'd had far too much of recently, and she was beginning to get sick of it.

"Kagome, if you don't hurry, you'll be late!" Mrs. Higurashi warned from downstairs.

After casting one more critical glance at herself and her new room—her outfit was impeccable but her room was another story, with boxes stacked everywhere—Kagome swept out the door with her school bag in hand. "I'm coming!"

Her family stood waiting for her at the genkan. Mama was smiling fondly as she held out Kagome's lunch while Grandfather was muttering incantations against some sort of "evil spirits" at her little brother, Souta.

Souta, however, mostly ignored him and just stood in front of the door, holding Buyo, the obese family cat, on his head (his favoured position). He shifted his weight impatiently from one foot to the other and back again, waiting for this whole silly celebration to be over so that Kagome could walk him to his new school for the first day.

Grandfather cleared his throat and held up a key chain with a glass ball attached to it that sparkled in the light. "Now, Kagome….this is the Shikon no Tama, it will bring you good luck," he began. "Its history is-"

Kagome took the key chain before he really wound up and kissed him on the cheek. "I've got to go now, Jii-chan. I'll see you this afternoon! Bye Mama!" With that, Kagome rushed out the door with Souta trailing after her.

Souta released Buyo before they reached the shrine steps, after saying farewell to the cat. Ignoring the cat's indignant meow, Souta turned to Kagome and said, "You're lucky Sis, _I_ got a water Kappa's foot for luck." He pulled the object out of his bag: the webbed thing was a disgusting grayish-green and shriveled. Souta and Kagome both wrinkled their noses.

"Gross," Kagome stated.

Souta looked at the object assessingly, before eyeing the family pet. "I should give it to Buyo." He bent down and waved it in front of the cat's face "Eat it, Buyo."

Buyo sniffed at him for a moment before taking the foot and trotting across the shrine with it.

Kagome wasn't sure which was worse: Buyo thinking the Kappa's foot was a new plaything or Buyo making the disgusting object his next meal. After all, Buyo hadn't turned down anything edible yet. Shaking that particularly disturbing thought out of her head, she started down the steps. "Come on, Souta. You don't want to be late for your first day."

* * *

"I wonder what school is like in Tokyo," Souta pondered aloud during their trek. "Do you think it'll be harder than home?"

"Probably not," Kagome commented. "I don't think you'll be very far behind at all."

Souta slowed his pace when he began seeing other students walking in the direction of the school. The 'new-school-new-kid' fears were written all over his face. "Kagome...what if the kids at school don't like me? What if they're mean?" He stopped walking and looked up at his older sister. "Kagome, let me go to school with you instead!"

_'NO WAY!'_ Kagome thought, mentally cringing. Outwardly, she put on a gentle expression and knelt in front of Souta. "Come on Souta, you're a big boy now, you can do this. You'll make lots of new friends; you won't even have time to miss your old school." Smiling at her brother, Kagome took his hand and walked him all the way to his classroom with a big fake smile on her face the entire time.

When they walked in, the teacher looked up and welcomed them. The teacher scanned the room and then turned back to Souta. "Why don't you take that desk next to Sotaru-kun?" she said pointing to a sickly looking little boy with freckles who was staring out the window.

Souta gave Kagome an uncertain look; she nudged him in the direction of the other boy. "I'll be back this afternoon," she promised, ruffling his hair affectionately before she left.

* * *

The walk to her own school was long and boring with no one there to make the trip with. The streets were unfamiliar, but half a block ahead of her, she caught sight of students wearing the same uniform. At least, it looked like the same uniform—the colours appeared to be the same, but Kagome was sure that the skirts were not meant to be worn _that_ high. She was also positive that students shouldn't be smoking in public, if at all. However, the kids were going in the same direction she was, so she kept them in her sight so as not to get lost on her new route.

Sure enough, they lead her to the school gates and Kagome arrived at Sengoku Jidai High School to see hundreds of other students milling about in the schoolyard. All around her were other teens hanging out with their friends, talking, laughing, and a few more were still smoking. A group of boys were kicking a soccer ball around in a corner of the yard. Not knowing a soul, Kagome wandered aimlessly around the schoolyard, simply observing other groups. Upon closer inspection, she realized that not all of the students were strictly adhering to dress code or traditional student behavior. Many of the girls wore more make-up than Kagome could imagine being allowed in school. Several boys' jackets were unbuttoned or simply not present. There also appeared to be a group of delinquents in another corner, if their wrinkled uniforms and suspicious expressions were anything to go by.

Kagome'd not given much thought about the transfer beyond leaving all her friends behind after the move from Osaka to Tokyo. So many more things had been on her mind, recently. But now that she was here, she wondered if there was a place for her to fit in here. She wasn't oblivious to the looks she could feel at her back, nor did she miss the whispers of a group of girls who weren't very subtle in their perusal of her.

"**LOOK OUT!**"

Kagome turned her head in time to see the wayward soccer ball coming right at her. "Eeep!" Out of instinct, she put her arms in front of her head and waited for the ball to make contact, even while praying that it wouldn't hit her.

Miraculously, it didn't. After hearing the spanking sound of the ball being caught, Kagome cautiously lowered her arms a bit and looked around for the ball, which by all logical standards should have hit her. Instead, she found herself facing the back of a white—almost silver—haired student who held the soccer ball in his hands.

"Walkin' around on the field? Kyoto make ya lose yer common sense, Kikyou?" the boy asked without turning around.

"Eh?" Confused, Kagome lowered her arms completely and blinked.

The boy continued. "Thought ya weren't back for another month, I guess you missed m..." he trailed off, by now having turned around and realizing that he wasn't talking to Kikyou. The look on his face was priceless, amber eyes showing confusion under dark raised eyebrows. "You're not Kikyou…"

Kagome shook her head. "No, my name's Higurashi Kagome. Ummm thanks for 'saving' me... I guess." She offered a smile.

The boy snorted and frowned. "'Course **you** couldn't possibly be Kikyou, she wasn't retarded enough t' stand and wait for a ball t' hit her. Look where you're going next time, girl." He walked off, soccer ball in hand.

"How rude!" Kagome muttered to herself. He hadn't even told her his name! _'Not like I care anyway,_' she assured herself. _'Who wants to know a jerk like __**him**__?'_

The school bell pulled her from her thoughts and Kagome gathered her wits and joined the crowd indoors.

* * *

Kagome nervously stood in front of the class of 1-C, still clutching all of her paperwork from the office.

Getting herself registered with a student ID and a locker had been a breeze. It was being introduced to a room full of students who were eyeing her like a piece of fresh meat that was the hard part. Thankfully, Kaede-sensei (a short stocky woman with grey hair, an eye patch and a firm demeanor) had made it as quick as possible.

"Class, this is Higurashi Kagome. She transferred here from Osaka. I hope you will make her feel welcome." She pointed Kagome to one of the empty desks in the back by the window and told another student—Mihara Suki—to grab some extra textbooks from the closet for Kagome.

Mihara nodded, but handed the books to Kagome with barely a smile. _'Welcome….yeah…'_

Kagome didn't have much time to dwell on that though, because Kaede-sensei had barely started the lessons in 1-C when the door to the classroom slid open with a bang, halting the lecture. In the doorway stood the rude boy Kagome had met earlier in the schoolyard. On his face was the most annoying smirk... until his eyes rested on Kagome. The smirk quickly turned into a frown.

"You're late Inu-Yasha," Kaede-sensei scolded in a resigned tone. "And still lacking your school supplies...you know what to do." She pulled out two large tin buckets and handed them to Inu-Yasha.

"How long _this_ time, old woman?"

Kaede-sensei speared him with a glare. "After another thirty minutes for your mouth? I'd say two hours seems fair."

The boy named Inu-Yasha huffed but turned and left, closing the door harshly after him but not before pinning Kagome with one more dirty look.

'_What has he got against me?'_ Kagome wondered. Well, at least she knew his name, odd as it was. Oh well. She busied herself in her schoolwork, desperate to catch up with the class.

Inu-Yasha strolled back in the room two hours later and tossed the empty buckets in the corner with no concern how they landed. He took a seat in the empty desk next to Kagome, ignoring her glare. He seemed more interested in the manga he produced from his back pocket than in her. Kagome halfway expected to hear their teacher reprimand him again, but Kaede-sensei merely sighed and continued teaching.

Kagome settled for thinking of all the nasty things that she could do to him as she went back to her history lesson.

* * *

Lunch had the students outside again, getting healthy doses of vitamin D and a handful of UV rays. Kagome sat on a bench under one of the many trees and ate her bento thoughtfully. So far, she hadn't met anyone other than Inu-Yasha and he was too rude to talk to. And no one else from her class had bothered to introduce themselves. What an unfriendly bunch. To make it worse, Kagome could swear she could feel herself being watched, again. No one seemed to make any eye contact at all with her when she looked around, but the creeping feeling did not diminish. So she sat alone, with no friends, being spied on and wishing she were back at home with Eri, Yuka and Ayumi to take her mind off of things.

"What is such a pretty girl doing sitting by herself?"

Kagome nearly jumped out of her skin when a hand rested on her shoulder. She whirled around to see a boy older than her by a year or so. His short black hair was tied back in a dragon's tail; violet eyes reflected his easygoing smile. Kagome noticed that his ears were pierced twice in his left and once in his right. Curiously, he also wore a purple _tekkou_ wrapped around his right hand, secured with traditional _mala_ beads. How odd.

"I'm new," Kagome admitted.

The boy nodded and sat next to Kagome. "You must be that transfer student everyone's talking about... Higurashi, isn't it?" Great. So people _**were**_ talking about her. "Your grandfather runs the Sunset Shrine," the boy continued. He grinned at her surprise. "Higurashi-san is a friend of my father's. We visit the shrine often. My name's Houshi Miroku. I'm in 2-A." He held out a hand in a very Western gesture.

Kagome couldn't help but smile at his welcoming attitude. "Mine's Kagome. I'm in 1-C." She took Miroku's hand, but instead of shaking, Miroku kissed the back of her hand. Kagome blushed. "People are talking about me?"

Miroku nodded and rubbed the hand he still held fondly. "Oh yes, a very pretty new student isn't something we see every day. Besides, with your remarkable similarity to-"

"Houshi! Who are you hitting on, **now**?"

Both Kagome and Miroku looked up to see a raven-haired girl with flashing brown eyes making her way across the schoolyard. She didn't look too happy.

Miroku deftly dropped Kagome's hand and hopped up to greet the girl. "Why, Sango, dear, how are you on this wonderful day? Have you reconsidered my offer?" He grinned charmingly.

Sango looked disgusted. "I am not joining you in the backseat of your car, you pervert!" She turned to Kagome, surprise evident on her face. It quickly melted into an assessing gaze as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Who's this?"

"Sango, may I introduce Higurashi Kagome, of the _Sunset _Shrine?" Miroku began in a placating tone. "Kagome, this is Taijin Sango. She's our resident kempo expert," he added playfully, with a wink.

"The way you say it, I think you actually _like_ that I can knock you flat," Sango said, watching Miroku warily. Suspicion still evident on her face, she switched her attention to Kagome. "This letch hasn't asked you anything inappropriate yet, has he?"

"No. We were just talking..." Kagome muttered. The boldness and obvious anger of the girl in front of her made Kagome more than a little intimidated.

"Really Sango, I was simply welcoming the new student to our school" Miroku insisted.

Sango scowled at him. "Welcome my ass! It's a wonder you don't scare them all away!" she countered.

"He really doesn't seem _that_ bad-!" Kagome stopped as she distinctly felt a hand caressing her hip. Turning around, Kagome caught the slightly guilty look on Miroku's face before she smacked him. "PERVERT!"

Miroku met the dirt.

The lift of a single brow relayed Sango's shocked approval. "So it's Higurahi, eh? I think you and I are going to get along just fine. Come on, let's leave this idiot. By the way, call me Sango."

Kagome grinned and offered her own given name. "Kagome."

Seconds after the girls had packed up Kagome's things and left, a shadow fell across Miroku's prone form. The owner of the shadow shook its head. "You deserved that."

"Hello, Inu-Yasha." Miroku mumbled. "I don't suppose you want to give me a hand up?"

Inu-Yasha rolled his eyes but squatted down and offered the boy on the ground one of his hands to grab. "What did you say to Sango this time?" he asked as Miroku took his hand and began to pull himself up.

"Actually, I was talking to that new student, Higurashi—damnit!" Miroku's face became reacquainted with the ground as Inu-Yasha had let go of his hand. "Perhaps a little warning next time?" he ground out in an irritated tone.

"What did you say to her?" Inu-Yasha demanded.

"Nothing!" Miroku insisted as he got up again and brushed himself off. The handprint on his face was just starting to show. "Just welcoming the new student! Poor thing was sitting alone at lunch...and after everyone's been talking about her and how she looks like Kikyou-sama."

"No she doesn't!" Inu-Yasha snapped. "Not a damn thing like her!"

Miroku turned his curious gaze to the other boy. "What's your problem?"

"Nothing! She's just a damn idiot, that's all! What's so special about her anyways?"

"She's pretty..."

Inu-Yasha just glared at him.

Miroku sighed. "Fine. If you want to continue living in denial go ahead, but please don't take it out on the rest of us just because the new student looks like-"

"_No she doesn't!"_

Miroku rolled his eyes and decided to let the boy sulk until the end of lunch.

Inu-Yasha debated about skipping the rest of the day. There was hardly any point in going back. He hated the class; Kaede-sensei was boring and that stupid girl (who did NOT look like Kikyou—Kikyou was classically pale with deep brown eyes and long smooth hair and an elegant air about her. This new girl had freckles and wide blue-grey eyes and little bit of a tan and shorter wavy hair and pinker cheeks and reminded him too much of a bubble headed ditz) was there just to annoy him. He could just show up late for class and hold those stupid water buckets, but the challenge had long since faded since he'd started lifting weights. Besides, standing in the hall with nothing to do but keep water buckets off the floor wasn't exactly something he would call fun. No, the only thing for it was to leave the campus and hang around Tokyo until it was time to pick up the brats. Maybe he could go visit the Nerima district. Something exciting was always happening there.

That decided; he stood up to make a break for it when the bell rang, only to be held back by a hand on his collar. He turned and glared at Miroku. "Buzz off."

"Just get over it and go back to class," sighed the other boy. "We don't need to be hearing about the fire you started somewhere in the district on the news this evening."

"Fuck you."

"No thanks, I'm not into that. I hear Jakotsu in 3-C might take you up on your offer, though."

If it were scientifically possible for Miroku's head to explode due to the extreme voltage coming from Inu-Yasha's eyes as he dragged the younger boy along to class, it would have been blown to pieces smaller than microscopically seen. As it was, Miroku's head remained intact, Inu-Yasha was apparently going back to class and the only thing drowning out him grinding his teeth, was Miroku's annoying humming...

* * *

Kagome looked up from her head start on her trigonometry lesson to see Miroku practically shoving Inu-Yasha back in the classroom.

Inu-Yasha turned to glare at him and make a rude hand gesture. He was ignored in favour of Miroku making his way to Kagome's desk.

"Please forgive my actions, Higurashi. I feel this whole thing was a misunderstanding...you see...there was a bit of dirt on your skirt and I only intended to wipe it away..."

"_That's_ what you were doing!" Inu-Yasha interrupted. "No wonder she hit ya, you damn perv! When are ya gonna learn t-" he was cut off by an elbow to his gut.

"So you see," Miroku continued calmly as Inu-Yasha struggled to catch his breath. "I was only trying to help. Surely, you can forgive me for saving you the trouble."

It was unnaturally quiet for a moment as Kagome simply stared at Miroku. "Sango's right, Houshi. You really are unbelievable." She turned her attention back to the work in front of her. "And to think I felt bad for you..."

Miroku's grin looked strained.

Behind him, Inu-Yasha was wheezing enthusiastically. "Serves ya right, bouzo ..."

"Houshi, is that you?" Kaede called as she peered at Miroku from her desk.

Miroku stood up. "Kaede-sensei!" he replied, exuding charm. "You look well, how is your health?"

He was answered with a very flat glare. "I suggest you go to your own classroom before you are late and stop causing trouble in mine. And Inu-Yasha can stop imitating a fish and take his seat."

"Oi!"

Miroku let his head hang in defeat for a moment before making his way out just as the other students of 1-C began to pour in.

* * *

Class that afternoon was relatively quiet. Kaede-sensei had written the assignments to be completed on the board and none of it was new to Kagome, who was relieved she wasn't so far behind in her learning that she couldn't catch up. She was pleased that it only took her an hour to wrestle through the rest of her trig problems before she moved on to her Japanese essay.

She had almost assumed that Inu-Yasha had been working on his essay too, the way he leaned over his desk, scribbling furiously with such an intent look. But, no...upon further inspection from the corner of her eye, it became apparent that her classmate was doing nothing even remotely resembling his work.

For all appearances, it seemed Inu-Yasha was more interested in producing a mini-manga in his notebook than his essay. Sharp, bold minimalist sketches were paired with scrawled writing. She only saw it for a second, but the whole page was striking. The boy had talent.

He also apparently had mind reading abilities, Kagome noted, as he looked up and caught her eye. Tossing her a dirty look, he hunched further over his work and turned his back on her as much as he could in his desk.

So, he was private. Fine. It wasn't as if she really cared what he was doing anyways...just interested to see if he actually did any work. Obviously not.

She let out a quiet sigh and let herself be drawn back into her essay.

With all of the work Kaede-sensei had assigned the class, Kagome found her afternoon to be completely occupied with her lessons. It had startled her then, when the bell rang to announce that class was over for the day. She'd been immersed in her studies and eager to catch up, she hadn't realized the time had passed so quickly.

While the other students said their goodbye to the teacher and left, Kagome took her time packing up her things and new books.

By the time she reached the shoe lockers, most of the students had already left.

'_That was quick.'_

However, not all the students were gone. She spotted an irritated Inu-Yasha hanging around the end of the particular row her locker was situated. He didn't appear to be moving anytime soon, so Kagome steeled her nerves as she walked over to change shoes and hope that he would keep his mean comments to himself.

"Oi..."

Well, so much for _that_ idea...

Kagome sighed and pulled out her street shoes. "My name is Higurashi Kagome if you would like to address me," she told him in an overly polite tone. She concentrated on taking her time switching her shoes and thinking about anything but the rude classmate of hers.

But said classmate wouldn't be ignored. "What are ya waitin' around here for? The bell rang, it's time t' leave." He jerked a thumb in the direction of the front doors as if to emphasize his point. "Go."

"_I'm_ waiting for Sango."

As if on cue, Sango appeared. "Sorry I'm late, 'had to finish my Japanese lesson." She rolled her eyes as she pulled out her shoes. "Kuraseku-sensei is such a stickler for the details."

As Sango changed her shoes, Kagome used the time to study her classmate's unusual choice of footwear: leather flip-flops.

"Inu-Yasha doesn't believe in shoes," Sango explained as she noticed the other girl's interest. "I think it's against his religion or something," she added sarcastically. "You ready?"

"Hold on!" Inu-Yasha interjected. He jerked a thumb at Kagome. "She ain't comin' with us, is she?"

"Kagome's brother goes to Elementary School of Tokyo, too, 'Yasha," Sango told him. "She comes, too."

The horrified look on Inu-Yasha's face was almost comical—if it hadn't been insulting—as he turned to Kagome. "There's _another_ one of you?" he cried. "Damn, it's bad enough that you've got the self preservation of a fuckin' goat, _and_ you've got to look out for a little brother? I feel sorry for _him_."

"Inu-Yasha!" Sango scolded as she whapped him soundly in the bicep.

The white haired boy flinched and rubbed his arm. "Fuck! Whadja do that for?"

"Don't be rude. Besides, since you seem to think that Kagome can't protect herself, I'm glad you volunteered to help her out, since you think she's so helpless and all…"

"Don't count on it..."

Inu-Yasha's statement went unheard as Sango turned to Kagome as well. "'Yasha comes with to get his cousin," Sango informed her.

"Tell my whole damn story to the world, why don'tcha?" Inu-Yasha cried.

"Get over yourself already," Sango sighed as she led the trio out the gates.

* * *

When the trio reached the elementary school, shrieks and cries of "Sissy!" could be heard across the schoolyard. Four over-energetic children bounded up to them, three boys and a little girl.

Souta greeted his older sister with a hug.

While the two others hung back, one of the other boys followed suite with Sango. He had his Sango's mouth and nose, Kagome decided, a sprinkling of freckles and large coal coloured eyes. His ebony hair was long enough to be pulled back in a short ponytail towards the top of his head.

Sango smiled as she talked to the boy, then tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to Kagome. "Kagome, this is my little brother Kohaku," she introduced.

"You two know each other?" Souta exclaimed as he made the connection between his new friend's older sister and his own.

"I guess you already know Souta then," Kagome addressed Kohaku. She turned to Sango with a smile. "Small world."

"Something like that," Sango agreed.

The little girl, who had been incredibly quiet until now, tugged on Kagome's skirt in a silent request for attention. "My name's Rin," she announced with a smile. "And I think you're pretty. Are you related to Kikyou? You look like her."

"_Kikyou?_"Kagome echoed. Wasn't that the name Inu-Yasha had called her this morning? She looked to Sango, but the other girl was too busy talking to her brother.

The third boy squinted his aqua coloured eyes and inspected Kagome's face. After a moment, he came to his conclusion. "Yeah, you kinda do. Only, I think you're prettier." He grinned charmingly.

To this, Inu-Yasha snorted. "Ya need glasses, Shippo," he informed the boy. "Not only is Kikyou much better looking, those two don't even look remotely alike. Ow!" A second later Inu-Yasha was grabbing his ankle and glaring at Sango. "Dam-dangit!" he amended, remembering the kids. "What was that for?" he cried.

Sango looked annoyed. She'd heard his last comment. "Don't be such a jerk, 'Yash."

"Yeah 'Yasha, don't be a jerk," the boy echoed as he mimicked Sango's kick on Inu-Yasha's other ankle. Shippo squealed in protest as Inu-Yasha lifted him to eye level by the back of his shirt collar.

"Do that again and you're walking home alone, brat," Inu-Yasha warned before he released his hold on the kid. The younger boy fell unceremoniously to the ground.

Sango calmly cuffed her best friend's head and told Inu-Yasha to quit picking on the child.

"You're not hurt, are you Shippo?" Kagome asked gently.

Shippo made eye contact and visibly straightened, trying to make himself to appear larger. "Nah, Inu-Yasha can't hurt me," he assured her. His gaze slid over to the older boy to glare in his general direction. "He's just a bully."

"You're the one startin' sh—ah...crap," Inu-Yasha retaliated, crossing his arms. He became the recipient of a rather flat stare from Sango.

"You're _such_ a role model," she deadpanned. She turned to Kagome. "Why don't you meet us here an hour earlier tomorrow morning, and I can give you that tour of the school? We can walk together that way, too."

The Higurashi siblings consulted on the matter for a moment before agreeing to the plan. Souta informed the boys that he would be bringing his Pokémon cards to school tomorrow and encouraged the other two to do the same.

"What makes you think I'm gonna come early?" Inu-Yasha objected.

Sango shrugged calmly. "It's your loss, 'Yasha. The boys'll already be here by the time you drop off Shippo and Rin so, they'll have someone to play with. But who're you gonna walk with? Come on, Kohaku..."

* * *

Souta and Kagome arrived to an empty house with a note on the kitchen table saying that Mrs. Higurashi was at the market to purchase fresh vegetables for supper, but had left some onigiri in the refrigerator for a snack. The note also asked Kagome to keep an eye on Souta and to see that he did his homework.

Souta pulled out the plastic ware containing the rice balls and sat them on the counter before quickly grabbing the largest two, and heading to the living room.

Kagome frowned and trailed after her brother, noting that he'd plopped himself in front of the tv. She turned it off. "Your homework isn't done yet," she said in her best older sister voice.

Souta scowled. "But I didn't get any homework on my first day," he insisted.

Kagome raised a brow and stared at her brother. He really didn't think she'd believe such a bald-faced lie, did he? "If you don't get your homework done, I'll tell Mama and she won't get you that Nintendo system until your grades are really good." Kagome added what she hoped was an intimidating look to her threat.

Souta stuck his tongue out at her and ran to his room to—hopefully—get started on his homework.

Kagome shook her head and helped herself to the rice balls before heading to for her own room to study. She whiled away her time by reviewing her history notes until her mother came home with the groceries and asked for assistance with dinner preparations.

After an uneventful supper, Kagome let her mind go over the events of the day in the privacy of her own room. She had met some interesting people, made a friend and possibly an enemy.

Though, try as she might, she could not think of a single reason why her new classmate was so nasty towards her. Perhaps it had to do with her looking like this Kikyou she kept hearing about. After all, she'd been told by Shippo and Rin that she bore resemblance to the other girl, and Inu-Yasha himself had referred to her as so just this morning. Kagome mulled over this while getting ready for bed, but thinking hard right before bed had always been a taxing job and so it wasn't long after her head hit the pillow that she nodded off to sleep.

She had the strangest dream that she fell into the shrine's well to land in the real Warring States Era and went on exciting adventures with Inu-Yasha, who really WAS a dog demon.

Yeah, right…Inu-Yasha, a DOG demon? He had more the temperament of a wet cat…..

* * *

I know it doesn't look like I've done much of anything beyond putting the first two real chapters together, but this that this is a HUGE difference, if only in style.

I hope you won't mind skipping down this dusty little path of nostalgia with me for a bit. I know it may seem tedious to re-read a previously posted fic, but stick with it, and I promise your interest will be rewarded. A plot will form, characters will develop and I can't wait to take you all down 'Highschool Dramatics' Lane.

I am nearly done with the second chapter and currently and completely rewriting the third. I should have the next post within a week or so. I'm not going to foolishly ask for your patience (after you've had to wait so long), but know that I am doing this on my own right now, and it is time-consuming and very boring trying to edit my own writing with fresh perspective every time.


	2. Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: I own Inu-Yasha, Kagome, Shippo, Viz **and** Takahashi Rumiko! If you believe a single word of that, you need more help that _I _do.

A/N: Damn and double damn! I already caught one more mistake in the first chapter. I describe Sango as 'a raven-haired girl.' Sango is evidenced to have brown hair in the anime and I have always considered her a brunette. And I had to ninja edit this chapter to switch a name. Apologies for any confusion this caused.

Thanks again to the original beta-ing of _Phoenix Cubed _and _Sailor Silver Moon_.

* * *

II

The next morning Sango and Kagome met at Elementary School of Tokyo with their respective brothers in tow. Neither Inu-Yasha nor the two children he'd had with him yesterday were there, but Sango didn't seem surprised, so Kagome decided not to worry. After saying goodbye to the boys who were busy digging in their bags for their Pokémon cards, the girls went on their way, chatting about nothing in particular while covering the nine blocks to their own school.

"Welcome to Sengoku Jidai," Sango intoned as they passed through the gates. "Probably one of the most dysfunctional schools in the district. You ready?"

At Kagome's nod, Sango linked arms with the other girl and the pair traipsed across the front lawn. She led Kagome around the schoolyard first, pointing out the small things like the memorial pillar at the entrance and environmental club's student garden. She showed her where the back gate was-the one that students weren't supposed to use. Just beyond that was a small grassy field that the older students used when they smoked or engaged in other...activities. Sango showed Kagome the small "unused" shed close to the back gate and explained that many of the older students went there when they skipped class.

Kagome, who had never had skipped a day of school in her life, wondered _why _on Earth anyone would willingly put themselves behind in schoolwork. It was hard enough trying to catch up with the rest of the class. When she voiced that thought, however, the only answer she received from Sango was an incredibly dry look before she continued her demonstration on how to obtain free snacks from the school vending machines.

Sango also told the other girl about the school legends and latest gossip while showing her the catacombs beneath the school (the secret entrance was a corner of floor in the lab built in the 1930's). Then, there was the best place in the library to hide; the only computer with unlimited internet access without restricted pages. The last stall in every girl's restroom held a wall of information about anything from the couple of the month to the latest homework assignment for every class's subject.

Finally, Sango stopped in front of a utility closet on the top floor. Kagome was made to be lookout while Sango utilized "the only useful quality of the student ID" by using it to pick the lock. The door opened to reveal little more than a few shelves of cleaning supplies and a built-in ladder that went all the way to the ceiling. Sango shimmied up and pushed a section of the ceiling out. A hatch opened and all Kagome could see was sky until she joined her new friend on the roof.

"It's kind of a tradition that an older student will show the first years the roof. But, I figure I've been here long enough to be an 'older student', at least compared to you." Sango said offhandedly.

The city of Tokyo lay before them just as the rising sun bathed the taller buildings in its rays. It was awe-inspiring. "It's beautiful up here!" Kagome breathed. "I can see the Tokyo Tower from here!" After several moments of drinking in the sight, Kagome finally turned back to her friend who was gazing at the scene fondly. "So, who showed you?" Kagome asked.

"Houshi took me 'n' 'Yasha up here to hang out one day," Sango told her. She smiled faintly as she recalled that day.

"If you don't mind my asking, how long have you known Inu-Yasha? You two seem...kinda...close."

"Well, he _is_ my best friend," the brunette admitted. She didn't bother hiding her grin at Kagome's apparent surprise. "You wouldn't think it, right? But I've known 'Yasha since we were kids and he took classes at my father's dojo. He was my only friend for a long time...none of the other girls wanted to hang out with a tomboy who could beat up a guy twice her size." Her gaze turned inward for a moment and Kagome felt sorry for the girl.

"How lonely..."

This seemed to snap Sango back and she waved the concern off. "Nah, I was always up to something, anyways. Especially with 'Yash around."

The morning bell rang and the pair made their way down the ladder and out of the closet just as the students emptied the schoolyard to file into the building. Having already changed their shoes at their lockers, the girls parted ways for their respective classrooms with the agreement to meet outside for lunch.

Humming happily, Kagome fairly skipped to her room and took her seat. She noticed in passing that Inu-Yasha wasn't in his desk yet, but figured he would be late again, like yesterday. At any rate, she really didn't have time to ponder this new development because Kaede-sensei immediately launched into the new chemistry unit all first years would be starting today.

The morning was relatively uneventful, as Inu-Yasha didn't show up late. In fact, he didn't show up at all.

Briefly, Kagome wondered if he was sick, but as soon as that thought entered her head, she tried to shake it away. After all, it had been peaceful so far without him to bother her. She pushed Inu-Yasha out of her head and went to work tackling a particularly difficult chemistry equation.

Later, Kagome and Sango met for lunch on the school steps. They swapped octopus puffs, cookies, and stories from their respective pasts before Kagome remembered that she had been meaning to ask Sango a few more questions. Clearing her throat, she turned to the older girl. "So, why does each class only have one teacher?"

"You remember when I said this was probably one of the most dysfunctional schools?" Sango asked. "I wasn't kidding. Most of these teachers can't get a job anywhere else. My teacher, Kuraseku-sensei, was a baseball pitcher for a team in Hiroshima, but he really wanted to teach, and not just coach or anything. So he gets his degree, but no one takes him seriously, yanno? It's like his only qualification for being a teacher is that he can throw things perfectly at rowdy students. Kaede-sensei: she's only got one good eye so she can't get around really well because she doesn't have depth perception. That's why 1-C's on the first floor. Suikotsu-sensei seems really nice and normal...but there's gotta be a flaw or something, he wouldn't've ended up here otherwise. I mean, how can you be this great doctor and then turn around and get such a crappy teaching job?"

Kagome munched thoughtfully on her octopus puff. The news really should have been more disturbing, but after her comprehensive tour that morning, it seemed to fit. "Who's Kikyou?" she asked.

Sango seemed to hesitate for a split second before answering: "She's a third year student here-well, she _was_. Top of her class, and a shrine girl-a miko, I think—you'd have to ask Houshi for sure. She went off to Kyoto to study something or another." The older girl picked up her soda. "Why do you ask?"

"Do you think I look like her?"

The can stopped just before Sango's lips as the girl turned her head slowly to fix Kagome with a quizzical stare. Kagome fidgeted under her friend's scrutiny. After a moment, Sango responded. "I can see it...you have a few of the same features. Why?"

"Ah, well...uhhhh, I was thinking about what Rin and-and Shippo said and Souta wanted to know who she was, you know?" She carefully avoided looking at Sango and stared into her lap where octopus puffs smiled up at her.

Sango said nothing, but shrugged.

_'Great. Chalk up another person who thinks I'm weird.'_

Thankfully, a change of subject came in the form of a familiar student coming to joining them. "Sango, dearest!...Higurashi..." Miroku bowed formally at the latter.

Kagome wasn't sure what he was up to, but he seemed to be intent on apologizing to her. She glanced to her new friend. Sango merely rolled her eyes but the anger from yesterday wasn't there.

"Enjoying your lunch, ladies?" Miroku smiled as he sat a few steps lower than the girls.

Recalling their last meeting, Kagome scooted ever so closer to Sango as she discreetly pulled her skirt as far over her knees as she could manage. If the young man noticed, however, he chose not to show it and instead, plucked an octopus puff from the small pile on the napkin in Sango's lap and popped it in his mouth before she could retaliate.

"What do you want Houshi?" Sango greeted in a wary voice.

"Just the company of two lovely ladies," he insisted mildly, holding up his hands in a gesture of peace. "And...to see if you're coming, Saturday."

Kagome cut her eyes over to Sango and couldn't help but to be interested in her thoughtful look. "Saturday?"

Miroku grinned. "Party time."

"Every Saturday night, we have a weekend bash to unwind," Sango explained. "It's Sengoku tradition. The party's held at a different place every week. Last week, 'Yasha was in charge: cards, couple'o'drinks, some music and people. It's a great way to relax; a lot better than staying at home."

"And then, you've got all day Sunday to sober up and finish homework," Miroku added.

Sango just rolled her eyes.

"Maybe you should bring Higurashi, Sango," Miroku suggested. "Let her meet some new people. Party's at my place, you'll have fun." Miroku directed this last part to Kagome, in addition to a saucy wink.

Sango turned to her as well. "You want to? It's cool, nothing too illegal or anything, just a good time."

"O-okay. I'll have to ask Mama, though."

Miroku grinned and made an okay sign with his finger and thumb.

"Houshi, you know Shiroi Kikyou, right? Is she a miko?" Sango asked suddenly.

The older student stared at her as if she was crazy for a split second but turned thoughtful as he cast a glance at Kagome. "Our illustrious school idol? I believe so. I've seen her a few of times at the Sunrise Shrine when I go with my dad." He cocked his head as he studied Kagome. "You know, you should meet her sometime. I think you two would have a lot in common." His attention turned to some boys on the field who were holding a soccer ball and yelling his name. He winked again to the girls. "Gotta go—game's about to start." With that, he jogged off across the yard to watch the soccer game.

"Is he really okay with me coming to his party?" Kagome asked as she watched him exchange friendly greetings with the other boys.

"Yeah. I think he's trying to apologize," the other girl noted. "He's really not a horrible person. He's a skirt chasing pervert," Sango admitted with an irritated expression as she tracked Miroku's progress on the field. She turned back to Kagome. "But, he's not a bad guy."

Kagome gave a silent smile of thanks to Sango who only shrugged. "So, what exactly goes on at these parties?" she asked, eager to switch the topic. Drinks, music, and cards weren't really the best descriptions and a girl wanted to know what she was getting herself into.

Sango stared off into the distance for a moment, lost in thought as she munched on an octopus puff. "Controlled chaos," she said finally, looking back at Kagome. "His dad and uncle are always out together with my dad so, no worries. Sometime, there's a fight, but we always managed to keep any bones from breaking. So, it's cool."

"Fighting?" Kagome paled slightly. Being non-confrontational, Kagome abhorred violence and the idea nearly made her shudder. What was Sango's idea of _too_ illegal then?

Sango chuckled when she noticed the other girl's expression. "Sorry, I guess you aren't into that stuff. Don't look so pained, it'll be okay. Say, I have kempo with Dad after class on Saturday, but after that, my day's free until the party. Wanna hang out before then?"

Hanging out with a girlfriend after school on a Saturday? It was _almost_ like life in Osaka. "Yeah," Kagome agreed with a smile. Sango couldn't've possibly understood, but just that one little question had made Kagome's day. She went back to class after lunch in a wonderful mood and not even the pop quiz in Japanese got her down.

* * *

Kohaku and Souta were in the throes of battle by the time the girls arrive at the elementary school's gate.

"Hey, Sis," Souta greeted, barely looking up from his play. He selected a card and laid it down. "I choose Squirtle. He can beat your Torchic."

Sango grinned and nudged Kagome in a silent request to watch. Clearing her throat, she said, "Come on, Kohaku. We gotta go home, you can play with your little pocket things later."

"They're pocket _monsters_, Sis" Kohaku replied hotly.

Sango shrugged. "Whatever, they're still pocket toys. Let's go, I have to start supper soon." She winked at her new friend.

Kagome hid her smile behind her hand as Kohaku heaved a deep sigh and started trading cards back with Souta. It was good to know she wasn't the only one with a Pokémon fanatic little brother. She and Souta said goodbye to the Taijin siblings and began to make their way back to the Shrine.

"Why weren't you and Sango with Inu-Yasha when he came to get Shippo and Rin, today?" Souta asked as he tugged the shoulder strap of his backpack. "He was there as soon as the bell rang, standing at the gate."

"He didn't walk with us, today," Kagome answered. She refrained herself from asking her brother if her classmate looked ill or tired or stressed. It really wasn't any of her business and Sango hadn't been fretting, so it clearly wasn't something important. Perhaps he was simply skipping. It seemed to fit his nature and his lack of interest in class. Yeah, that was probably it.

* * *

Kagome revisited the sick theory in her mind when Inu-Yasha didn't show up for class on Saturday, either. Surely, he wouldn't skip two days?

She wasn't the only who noticed his absence, though. "At least we won't be hearing Inu-Yasha interrupt the lecture with all that anarchy crap," one male student stage whispered to another.

The class burst into appreciative snickers.

"Alright, settle down, class," Kaede-sensei told them as she shuffled to the board.

Kagome mentally cheered when the bell rang for dismissal at noon. Kaede-sensei had spent the first half of the morning lecturing for Government and Civics (who knew they still taught it after ninth grade?) and the latter half conducting the Economics lesson from the books and notes from the board. How boring! If that was what every Saturday had to present, Kagome was sure she would go crazy before long. Why did all the important subjects have to be so dull?

"Welcome to Hell," Sango had told her as they left to pick up the kids. "All of the first years have to go through it. They say it's good for us to remember this stuff so that we'll retain it as adults. I just think they're separating the strong from the weak; waiting to see who'll slit their wrists first, after Saturdays."

'_How morbid!_'

"So, whadaya wanna do this afternoon? Sightseeing? Window shopping?" Sango asked.

"That sounds good," Kagome agreed, referring to the latter. There wasn't a lot of pocket money going around these days with the move and all the bills that were coming in right now. Her spending funds were probably enough to get a snack, but not shop. At least she had secured permission to go out with her new friend that afternoon and evening. "Where should we meet?"

"How 'bout the boys' school?" Sango suggested. "You know how to get there from your house, obviously, and there's a block of nothing but window shops not too far from there."

Kagome nodded and promised to meet her new friend at three before herding Souta home.

"Kagome," Grandfather Higurashi called, as the siblings reached the top of the steps. "I need your help with visitors today, please go put on your robes and give me a hand."

Kagome sighed as she made her way to the house. She didn't mind helping out with Shrine business, really she didn't. But ever since she'd gotten here with her mother and brother, Jii-chan had been hinting heavily at how the Shrine needed a miko and how Kagome would be perfect for the job.

Not that she listened. For all the talk about Kagome hailing from a long line of mikos, there'd been no spark of power whatsoever from the girl, herself. This depressed her grandfather to no end, but secretly relieved Kagome, who had no wish to spend her entire life devoted to sweeping the shrine steps and selling "good luck charms" like her key ring Shikon no Tama. Grandfather had been right about needing a second hand to handle the visitors, though. Only a few moments after Kagome stationed herself at the front with the items for sale, a wave of people descended upon the place. They bought incense sticks, prayers, and good luck charms. Kagome had her hands full at the front while Grandfather conducted tours of the grounds to newcomers and gaijins. She had only meant to stay for two hours but a busload of tourists hit and all of them were over interested to talk to a shrine girl.

The moment they left, Kagome flew to her room to change outfits and rushed right back out again. Sango would probably already be there by now.

* * *

"Sorry, I'm late!" Kagome apologized to a patiently waiting Sango. "We got a busload of tourists at the shrine at the very last minute."

"That's fine," Sango assured her. "I forgot you told me you lived at the shrine. Come on, there's always a new display every Saturday in the shop windows. Cute outfit, by the way."

Kagome looked down at the clothes she'd thrown on: her favourite white Pyuu Pyuu shirt that her friend Ayame had fashionably cut the sleeves off of and a pair of torn jeans. "Thanks. Yours is better. You look like you're ready to be in a rock video or something."

It was true. Sango had changed into a simple black long sleeved ribbed V-neck shirt, a red plaid pleated skirt and leather knee high boots. And it looked fantastic on Sango who still wore her hair up in a high ponytail. "I haven't had the chance to wear a skirt that isn't uniform in a while, hangin' out with 'Yasha and Houshi," she laughed. "And Dad threatened to toss out my boots if I didn't start putting my feet in them again, so today seemed like a good day to wear it."

They turned the corner and crossed the street to the next block.

"Now...feast your eyes on _this_..."

* * *

Kagome couldn't remember having such a good time spending so little money. They had spent an hour and a half browsing the window shops and trying on clothes they didn't intend to buy. There had been a discount general store a block down from there where they had a good time picking out headscarves for ridiculously cheap. They found a market that was handing out food samples and then went for a closer view of the Tokyo Tower.

"It's about time we headed over to Houshi's," Sango informed the other girl after checking her watch sometime later on a park bench.

Kagome, who'd been feeding the ducks in the pond, stood up and wiped the crumbs off her jeans.

"Come on, we'll take the express train," Sango told her, setting a jaunty pace. "There's no way I want to walk to Houshi's from here."

The train was pretty crowded, but the girls managed to find two consecutive empty seats. The ten minutes it took the train to reach their destination went by quickly with Sango telling her more about previous parties and convincing her tie her white scarf around her hair for a little more of a rocker chick look. They got off the train and down the steps from the station to street level. The sun was in its final stages of setting and the girls stuck close together, as they walked the remaining three blocks.

"Here we are," Sango announced as they halted in front of a gated piece of property.

Kagome stared in awe at what lay beyond the gate. An American style split level ranch house sat back from the street in the middle of a generous yard filled with trees and bushes.

"Miroku's uncle is a prominent doctor. Guess he can afford the place" Sango explained as she pushed open the gate and motioned Kagome in. The sounds of the party already in progress grew louder as the two walked up the stone pathway that led directly to the front door. "The party's always got an open door policy," she explained as she turned the knob and opened the door.

Kagome stepped in after her friend and looked around after they kicked their shoes off in the entryway and crossed into the hall. On her left was a den; the couch in front of the TV was full of boys avidly cheering a soccer game. In the room across the hall; to her right, a handful of kids had their shoes off and were grooving to a techno beat on the hardwood floor. There wasn't a tatami mat in sight. She followed Sango through the kitchen where a few students she knew by sight chatted over sodas and finger foods.

One boy with blue eyes sat at the kitchen table eating a sandwich looked up and winked at her.

Kagome ducked her head to hide her blush and she trailed after Sango through the doorway into a darker, carpeted room with wood paneling. From the looks of things, the girl surmised that they were in game room of sorts. A billiard table, a ping-pong table, and a Nintendo area were all in use.

Miroku looked up from his game of pool and grinned. "Welcome, ladies." He turned his concentration back to the shot and sunk the two ball in a corner pocket. That done, he walked around the table to finish greeting his guests. "Sango. Higurashi." He nodded to each of them in turn with a warm smile.

Kagome, recalling Sango's words from yesterday, returned a small smile. "Kagome," she gently corrected.

Miroku's grin widened. "Ahh," he agreed. He switched his attention to the other girl and gleam appeared in his eye. "Is that a skirt, I see, Sango?" he teased.

"I wear a skirt every day to school, Houshi," Sango reminded him, flatly.

Miroku continued to let his eyes wander over the red plaid. "Yeah, but this one looks a lot better on you." After a beat he said, "Glad you could make it. Yanno, Inu-Yasha was wondering when you'd get here."

Said boy sauntered in from the kitchen and plucked the que from Miroku's fingers. "'Bout time ya got yer sorry a-you!" He stopped and stared at Kagome. "I shoulda known..." he grumbled before tapping the 12 ball into a side pocket.

Yep, definitely skipping.

"So whatcha think?" Miroku gestured to the room and tactfully changed the subject from Inu-Yasha's rude behaviour. "It used to be a garage. My uncle decided to turn it into a game room after me and my dad moved in. Part of the bachelor pad."

"It's ummm...nice." Kagome gazed about; her eyes fell on a calendar, where a girl wearing what some generous soul might call a bikini was lying on a piece of white fur. The year read 1969. "Your calendar's wrong."

"Only a girl would notice something like that," Inu-Yasha retorted as he lined up his shot and then cursed as he scratched it and motioned for Miroku to take his turn again.

A rowdy cheer could be heard from somewhere in the house.

"Guess Japan got another one against Korea..."

"There you are Miroku!" an overly cheerful voice chirped.

Sango let out a small groan and Inu-Yasha rolled his eyes.

Kagome turned to see a girl with garnet coloured eyes, short black hair and an even shorter black dress with a plunging neckline, standing in the doorway.

The girl turned her crimson gaze on Kagome. "La? Who's this?"

"Kagome, meet Inoue Yura. Yura, this is the new transfer student, Higurashi Kagome." Miroku held out his hand as an invitation and Yura slunk into his arms.

"I'm getting a drink," Sango announced loudly. She turned to Inu-Yasha. "'Yasha?"

"Beer."

Sango nodded and drug Kagome into the kitchen with her. "She is such a slut!" Sango grumbled as she yanked open the refrigerator door to pull out two sodas and a beer for Inu-Yasha. "I'll be right back." She handed Kagome a soda and returned to the game room.

Kagome turned at the sound of a person clearing their throat. The boy who had winked at her earlier was still sitting at the table, eating. He leaned over and pulled out a chair for Kagome to join him. "My name's Wolfsbane Kouga...old man's English," he explained at Kagome's quizzical look to his family name. "What's yours?"

She sat down. "Higurashi Kagome."

"You're the new transfer student," he stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "Anyone ever tell you you're cute?"

"Ano…." Was everyone here so forward? Kagome again turned pink but was saved from answering as Sango joined them at the table.

"Taijin." Kouga greeted with a nod of his head.

"Ookami." Sango returned, mirroring him with a smirk that Kouga returned.

A new dance beat began from the other room and Kouga wiped the crumbs off the table and threw away his trash. He looked at Kagome. "You any good at dancin'?"

"I don't really dance..." Kagome admitted shyly.

"Aw, c'mon...dance with me." He held out his hand as an invitation.

"Well…." Kagome looked back at the nodding Sango "…okay," she decided, before shyly taking Kouga's hand and allowing him to lead her to the dance floor with the other couples dancing to the beat.

* * *

Inu-Yasha sank the eight ball into the predicted corner pocket and scowled. He'd won, but it wasn't like it mattered anyways. Miroku was currently occupied with that obnoxious slut who'd draped herself over him and was chirping away. She had interrupted the game and spoiled the atmosphere. Her false perkiness grated on Inu-Yasha's nerves far more than that damn voice of hers. The beer did nothing to help; in fact, it seemed to make her more and more unbearable. Briefly, Inu-Yasha wondered if it bothered Miroku as well, but he discarded the thought when he realized the upperclassman had other ideas written all over his face. And, he would probably try to carry them out given a chance and an isolated room.

As Inu-Yasha pondered if Miroku even considered all the STDs his arm candy probably possessed, Sango came wobbling back in, slightly red faced and grinning. He knew that look. No doubt, his best friend had been talked into doing a chugging contest with the soccer crowd, again...girl never could resist a challenge...

…which also applied to getting Miroku away from an easy girl, Inu-Yasha noted as he watched Sango grab a surprised Miroku from Yura's embrace, ignoring the go-to-hell look the latter was giving her. Sango probably didn't even notice. Or didn't give a damn. It was hard to tell at this stage.

"C'mon I wanna dance!" Sango happily slurred and was already half-dragging Miroku through the kitchen, leaving a very pissed off Yura behind.

Inu-Yasha followed them to the living room, curious to see what would happen.

The bright yellow walls perfectly suited the room's current use as a dance hall as a mixed version of one of the pop songs from the radio filtered through the speakers. The smell of sweat hit his nose as he stood in the doorway. Not surprising considering the body count had nearly doubled in the ten minutes since he'd walked past.

After watching a questionably tipsy, yet highly energetic Sango boogie with her partner, Inu-Yasha's amber gaze idly scanned the crowd and landed on the two people that annoyed him the most. The new girl was dancing with that pain in the ass, Kouga, the thorn in his side that was always trying to get him in trouble.

The white haired boy scowled at the shit-eating grin on the bastard and the girl's answering smile and flushed face. It was obvious that she was enjoying herself, despite the fact that she barely knew anyone here. It was hard not to picture Kikyou in her place, having a good time with him as well. Inu-Yasha's chest clenched for a moment at the thought.

More than once, he'd tried to get her to come to the Saturday get-togethers, but Kikyou had always politely declined, citing excuses such as shrine duties, and studying. Secretly, he wondered if she didn't want to socialize with the others at the party, which was odd. For someone so reserved, Kikyou was the closest thing the school had to an idol. She was well liked and very much respected by the student body. He couldn't imagine her not being welcomed.

"'Yasha, man, long time no see." A hand landed lightly on the boy's shoulder. "What's it been, three weeks?"

He didn't even need to hear the voice to know the hand belonged to the Saotome boy, Ranma, a friendly acquaintance. A second later, said boy and his fiancée, Tendo Akane, appeared in the teen's line of vision.

"Hi, Inu-Yasha!" Akane greeted with a warm smile.

Inu-Yasha greeted Akane with a nod. He liked the couple well enough. Ranma was one of the only boys whom he could hold a decent sparring match with and they agreed on many of the same sentiments on school, girls and sparring. This made him okay in Inu-Yasha's book. The Tendo girl wasn't too bad, she was pretty nice and funny; in some ways, she reminded Inu-Yasha of Sango a little bit. They had some of the same traits: cute, mouthy, and dangerous when provoked. It was too bad the Neriman couple couldn't always make it to these get-togethers.

"Sango sure looks like she's having fun," Akane noted.

Indeed, Sango was dancing like the world would end tomorrow and looked like she was having the time of her life, doing it with Miroku. A similar dopey expression was on her delighted partner's face.

Another giggle caught Inu-Yasha's attention and he located the source as Higurashi, whom Kouga was twirling about. It made him want to hurl, really….A scowl crept across his features and for the life of him, Inu-Yasha couldn't figure out that funny feeling that made him feel sick. He turned to Ranma. "I'm leavin'," he stated.

Ranma looked surprised. "This early? Man, we just got here!"

"I got other places than here t' waste my time." Inu-Yasha explained with a shrug. He tilted his head over in Sango and Miroku's direction. "Keep an eye on Sango. I don't think she's exactly sober. Don't let Houshi pull shit with her."

Akane assured him that they would watch out for Sango before Inu-Yasha bid the couple goodnight and slid past an irritated Yura on the phone.

* * *

"You're back early."

Inu-Yasha froze for a split second before softly closing the door to the miniscule room he shared with Shippo, who sitting up on his cot with an accusing stare.

"Go t' bed brat." Inu-Yasha muttered as he pulled off his shirt, leaving his undershirt on and traded his jeans for a pair of pj bottoms.

"Did somebody catch you? I mean, you don't usually sneak back in 'til midnight and it's only nine thirty. You know Sesshoumaru doesn't come back in 'til **two** on Saturdays."

He knew. That's why snuck out on Saturdays, and he always came back before his older half-brother got in. He had to. There would be hell to pay if he didn't.

Inu-Yasha ignored his cousin as he pulled back the single sheet on his cot and crawled under it. He hated it. He hated the fact that he slept in the same closet sized room with Shippo while down the hall, Rin, who wasn't even blood related to anyone, slept in a REAL bed with a feather mattress in her own room. It wasn't really her fault though, she was just a kid. The one he really hated was Sesshoumaru, for barely disguising his disgust even as he housed and fed them. But most of all, he hated his father for dying on them, and leaving Inu-Yasha to live on his older half-brother's wealth.

Inu-Yasha changed his position on his cot to lie on his side, facing the window; away from his cousin's questioning gaze.

"So, why _are_ you back?"

"It's none 'o' yer damn business," Inu-Yasha grumbled.

There was a disturbing amount of enthusiasm in his voice as Shippo posed his next question. "Was it a fight?"

"Go to sleep," the older boy enunciated.

"Drugs?"

"It's past yer bedtime, brat," Inu-Yasha sighed.

"Got drunk again?"

Inu-Yasha rolled over and propped himself up on his right elbow and stared at Shippo in a fashion that suggested that he thought little of his cousin's intelligence. "Oi, if I was drunk, would I **be** here right now?"

Shippo nodded. "Good point," he conceded. He waited until the older boy lay back down before exclaiming, "I know! You held up a store! Am I right?"

A single pillow went flying across the room...***FWAP***

"Waaaaaahhhhh!"

"Argh, shut-up, you'll wake Rin!"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Heh, Yura's surname is Inoue, which literally means 'above the well.' I found it particularly fitting.

I really hope I'm getting Sango right in this. Balancing the fine line between being in character and giving her appropriate responses to someone with her AU background always takes some work.


End file.
